Pretty Deadly, Volume 1: The Shrike

by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Emma Ríos (Artist), Jordie Bellair (Artist), Clayton Cowles (Illustrator)

Overview

Kelly Sue DeConnick (Avengers Assemble, Captain Marvel) and Emma Rios (Dr. Strange, Osborn) present the collected opening arc of their surprise-hit series that marries the magical realism of Sandman with the western brutality of Preacher. Death's daughter rides the wind on a horse made of smoke and her face bears the skull marks of her father. Her origin story is a tale of retribution as beautifully lush as it is unflinchingly savage.

"It's a perfect match for the gorgeous, dizzying artwork in a sumptuous palette-overlaid panels add intricate choreography to fight scenes, and detailed, whirling splash pages beg for long-lingering looks. Couple that, along with a handful of Eisner nominations, with a multicultural cast of tough-as-nails women who all fight for their own honor, and this is a series to watch out for." - Booklist

"It's ambitious and challenging (two qualities that are not often valued, but that probably should be), under a façade of violence and sacrifice. Rio's art is lush and detailed, and is more than capable of keeping up with the far-reaching story." - PW

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607069621
Publisher:	Image Comics
Publication date:	05/13/2014
Series:	Pretty Deadly Series , #1
Pages:	120
Sales rank:	666,637
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	16 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kelly Sue DeConnick is best known for surprise hits like Carol Danvers' rebranding as Captain Marvel and the Eisner-nominated mythological western, PRETTY DEADLY; the latter was co-created with artist Emma Ríos. The sci-fi kidney-punch called BITCH PLANET, co-created with Valentine De Landro, launched to rave reviews in December 2014 and has since been nominated for an Eisner. She currently writes AQUAMAN for DC as well as develops television for Legendary TV with her husband and partner, Matt Fraction, as Milkfed Criminal Masterminds.

Editorial Reviews

05/26/2014
This mystic western is full of unusual images and portents. It requires patience and a willing imagination to appreciate, although the base elements—a mysterious, blind old man traveling with a girl with different colored eyes; a grizzled gunman ambushed in a whore’s bedroom; a vigilante woman become legend—are familiar enough. Others, like the rabbit skeleton narrating to a butterfly, are just odd. Ginny, the daughter of Death, anchors the fable, which is full of women driven as mothers and daughters. The whole thing is like a tarot card (imagery that is also used), providing suggestive images that must be interpreted. The book requires at least two readings: the first just to learn who everyone is, the second to understand what’s going on. It’s ambitious and challenging (two qualities that are not often valued, but that probably should be), under a facade of violence and sacrifice. Rios’s art is lush and detailed, and is more than capable of keeping up with the far-reaching story. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"It's a perfect match for the gorgeous, dizzying artwork in a sumptuous palette-overlaid panels add intricate choreography to fight scenes, and detailed, whirling splash pages beg for long-lingering looks. Couple that, along with a handful of Eisner nominations, with a multicultural cast of tough-as-nails women who all fight for their own honor, and this is a series to watch out for." -Booklist

"It's ambitious and challenging (two qualities that are not often valued, but that probably should be), under a facade of violence and sacrifice. Rios's art is lush and detailed, and is more than capable of keeping up with the far-reaching story." - PW

From the Publisher